§ 15-34 — Definitions.

Connecticut § 15-34

• Jurisdiction: Connecticut
• Title 15: Navigation and Aeronautics
• Ch. 266: Aeronautics

Text

For the purposes of this chapter, the following words and phrases have the following meanings, unless the context otherwise requires: (1) “Aeronautics” means transportation by aircraft; the operation, repair or maintenance of aircraft, aircraft engines or unmanned aircraft except by a manufacturer, including the repair, packing and maintenance of parachutes; the design, establishment, construction, extension, operation, improvement, repair or maintenance of airports, heliports, vertiports, restricted landing areas or other air navigation facilities, and air instruction. (2) “Air instruction” means the imparting of aeronautical information by any aeronautics instructor or in or by any air school or flying club. (3) “Air navigation” means the operation or navigation of aircraft in the air space over this state or upon any airport or restricted landing area within this state. (4) “Air navigation facility” means any facility, other than one owned or controlled by the federal government, used in, available for use in or designed for use in, aid of air navigation, including airports, heliports, vertiports, restricted landing areas, and any structures, mechanisms, lights, beacons, marks, communicating systems or other instrumentalities or devices used or useful as an aid, or constituting an advantage or convenience, to the safe taking-off, navigation and landing of aircraft, or the safe and efficient operation or maintenance of an airport, heliport, vertiport or restricted landing area, and any combination of such facilities. (5) “Aircraft” means any contrivance used or designed for navigation of or flight in air, including (A) airplanes, meaning power-driven fixed-wing aircraft, heavier than air, supported by the dynamic reaction of the air against their wings, (B) gliders, meaning heavier than air aircraft, the free flight of which does not depend principally upon a power-generating unit, and (C) rotorcraft, meaning power-driven aircraft, heavier than air, supported during flight by one or more rotors. “Aircraft” does not include unmanned aircraft. (6) “Airman” means (A) any individual who engages, as the person in command, or as a pilot, mechanic or member of the crew, in the navigation of aircraft while under way; (B) any individual who is directly in charge of the inspection, maintenance, overhauling or repair of aircraft engines, propellers or appliances; and (C) any individual who serves in the capacity of aircraft dispatcher or air-traffic control-tower operator. “Airman” does not include any individual employed outside the United States, any individual employed by a manufacturer of aircraft, aircraft engines, propellers or appliances to perform duties as an inspector or mechanic in connection with such aircraft, engines, propellers or appliances and any individual performing inspection or mechanical duties in connection with aircraft owned or operated by such individual. (7) “Airport” means any area of land or water, except a restricted landing area, which is designed for the landing and takeoff of aircraft, whether or not facilities are provided for the shelter, servicing or repair of aircraft, or for receiving or discharging passengers or cargo, and all appurtenant areas used or suitable for airport buildings or other airport facilities, and all appurtenant rights-of-way. (8) “Airport hazard” means any structure, object of natural growth or use of land which obstructs the air space required for the flight of aircraft in landing or taking off at any airport, heliport, vertiport or restricted landing area or is otherwise hazardous to such landing or taking-off. (9) “Airport protection privileges” means easements through or other interests in air space over land or water, interests in airport hazards outside the boundaries of airports, heliports, vertiports or restricted landing areas and other protection privileges the acquisition or control of which is necessary to ensure safe approaches to the landing areas of airports, heliports, vertiports and restricted landing areas and the safe and efficient operation thereof. (10) “Careless, negligent or reckless operation” means the operation or piloting of any aircraft or unmanned aircraft carelessly, negligently, recklessly or in such manner as to endanger the property, life or limb of any person, due regard being had to the proximity of other aircraft or unmanned aircraft, the prevailing weather conditions and the territory being flown over. (11) “Civil aircraft” means any aircraft other than a public aircraft. (12) Repealed by 1972, P.A. 134, S. 6. (13) “Connecticut Airport Authority” or “authority” means the Connecticut Airport Authority established pursuant to chapter 267b. (14) “Executive director” means the executive director of the Connecticut Airport Authority or the executive director's designee. (15) “Flying club” means any person other than an individual which, neither for profit nor reward, owns, leases or uses one or more aircraft for the purpose of instruction or pleasure or both. (16) “Manufacturer” means a person, partnership, association, limited liability company or corporation which, during the calendar year preceding application for registration, manufactured or assembled one or more aircraft for sale, or which proves to the satisfaction of the executive director that it intends in good faith to manufacture or assemble one or more aircraft for sale during the year immediately ensuing. (17) “Municipality” means any city, town or borough or other subdivision of this state. (18) “Navigable air space” means air space above the minimum altitudes of flight prescribed by the laws of this state or by procedures of the authority. (19) “Nonresident” means any person whose legal residence is outside this state. (20) “Operation of aircraft” means the use of aircraft for the purpose of air navigation and includes the navigation or piloting of aircraft. Any person who causes or authorizes the operation of aircraft, whether with or without the right of legal control thereof, shall be deemed to be engaged in the operation of aircraft within the meaning of the statutes of this state. (21) “Person” means any individual, firm, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, company, association, joint stock association or body politic and includes any trustee, receiver, assignee or other similar representative thereof. (22) “Public aircraft” means an aircraft used exclusively in the service of any government or of any political subdivision thereof, including the government of any state, territory or possession of the United States, or the District of Columbia, but does not include any government-owned aircraft engaged in carrying persons or property for commercial purposes. (23) “Restricted landing area” means any area of land or water or both, which is used or is made available for the landing and takeoff of aircraft, the use of which shall, except in case of emergency, be only as provided from time to time by the executive director. (24) Repealed by P.A. 85-130. (25) Repealed by P.A. 77-614, S. 609, 610. (26) Repealed by P.A. 77-614, S. 609, 610. (27) “Heliport” means an area of defined dimensions, either at ground level or elevated on a structure, designated for the landing and takeoff of helicopters, which may be restricted solely for that purpose. (28) “Ultra light aircraft” means (A) any aircraft which meets the criteria established by the Federal Aviation Administration, federal Air Regulation Part 103, or (B) any vehicle which: (i) Is used or intended to be used for manned operation by a single occupant in the air; (ii) is used or intended to be used for recreation or sport purposes only; (iii) has not been issued an airworthiness certificate by the government of the United States or any foreign government; and (iv) if unpowered, weighs less than one hundred fifty-five pounds or, if powered, weighs less than two hundred fifty-four pounds, empty weight, has a fuel capacity of no more than five U.S. gallons, is not capable of more than fifty-five knots calibrated air speed at full power in level flight and has a power-off stall speed which does not exceed twenty-four knots calibrated air speed. (29) “Unmanned aircraft” means a powered aircraft that (A) uses aerodynamic forces to provide vertical lift, (B) is operated remotely by a pilot in command or is capable of autonomous flight, (C) does not carry a human operator, and (D) can be expendable or recoverable. (30) “Vertiport” means an area of defined dimensions, either at ground level or elevated on a structure, designated for the vertical landing and takeoff of aircraft, which may be restricted solely for that purpose.

Legislative History

(1949 Rev., S. 4782; 1959, P.A. 501; 1961, P.A. 41; 1969, P.A. 768, S. 161–165; 1972, P.A. 134, S. 6; P.A. 77-614, S. 609, 610; P.A. 85-130; 85-262, S. 5; P.A. 86-403, S. 31, 32, 132; P.A. 87-589, S. 23, 87; P.A. 95-79, S. 43, 44, 189; P.A. 07-217, S. 56, 57; P.A. 15-192, S. 25; P.A. 24-40, S. 20.) History: 1959 act amended Subdiv. (5) by adding the phrase beginning “including,” amended Subdiv. (18) which formerly read a person having no place of abode or business in the state for more than 90 days in a year and amended Subsec. (22) by adding “careless” and “negligent” to “reckless,” including proximity of other aircraft as a consideration and deleting consideration of field conditions; 1961 act added “other subdivision” to definition of municipality and redefined “aircraft” to delete specific mention of airplanes, gliders and rotorcraft; 1969 act replaced “commission”, referring to repealed Connecticut aeronautics commission, with “commissioner”, referring to commissioner of transportation, replaced department of aeronautics with department of transportation, replaced director of aeronautics with commissioner of transportation and added Subdivs. (25) and (26) defining “bureau” and “deputy commissioner”; 1972 act repealed Subdiv. (12) re Connecticut aeronautics commission; P.A. 77-614 repealed Subdivs. (25) and (26), effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 85-130 repealed former Subdiv. (24) which defined “state airway”; P.A. 85-262 added references to heliports throughout section and added Subdivs. (27) and (28) defining “heliport” and “ultra light aircraft”; P.A. 86-403 made technical changes in Subdivs. (5) and (16); P.A. 87-589 made technical change in Subdiv. (5); P.A. 95-79 redefined “manufacturer” and “person” to include a limited liability company, effective May 31, 1995; P.A. 07-217 made technical changes in Subdivs. (5) and (28), effective July 12, 2007; P.A. 15-192 amended Subdiv. (13) to replace definition of “department” with definition of “Connecticut Airport Authority”, amended Subdiv. (14) to replace definition of “commissioner” with definition of “executive director”, amended Subdiv. (16) to replace “commissioner” with “executive director”, amended Subdiv. (18) to replace provision re regulations with provision re procedures and amended Subdiv. (27) to make a technical change, effective July 2, 2015 (Revisor's note: In Subdiv. (23), a reference to “executive authority” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “executive director” for accuracy); P.A. 24-40 amended Subdiv. (1) to add reference to unmanned aircraft and vertiports, amended Subdivs. (4), (8) and (9) to add reference to vertiports, amended Subdivs. (5) and (10) to add reference to unmanned aircraft, amended Subdiv. (6) to add Subpara. designators (A) to (C), added Subdiv. (29) to define “unmanned aircraft”, added Subdiv. (30) to define “vertiport” and made technical changes, effective July 1, 2024. Zones are embraced within “airport protection privileges” and are not part of “airports” per se. 159 C. 453. Cited. 185 C. 145; 201 C. 700. Cited. 35 CS 157.